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The Daily Vet is a blog featuring veterinarians from all walks of life. Every week they will tackle entertaining, interesting, and sometimes difficult topics in the world of animal medicine – all in the hopes that their unique insights and personal experiences will help you to understand your pets.

Vasectomy instead of neuter? (for your dog)

Well, why the heck not? Though vasectomies are out of favor in the veterinary community (not that they were ever popular), there’s no reason why I wouldn’t consent to snip a bit of tiny tubing through a small incision over taking out the testicles—as long as the owner understands that testosterone and all its effects will still be on hand to work their mysterious charms.

Sure, neutering will typically rid you of the roaming, the pee-peeing over any available surface, freaky behavior around bitches in heat, and the triple terror of testicular tumors, perineal hernias and prostatic enlargement. Yet sometimes owners want just the reproductive issue addressed, thank you very much.

But the jury has spoken—for now, anyway. The veterinary establishment is loath to relinquish its recommendation that full castration (neutering) is the end all and be all when it comes to canine sterilization.

Indeed, vasectomies are so rare that I recall being laughed at by my professor in my Principles of Surgery lecture when I asked whether anyone was performing this technique in lieu of castration. That was fifteen years ago when I was still stupid enough to slink back into my seat and make myself invisible after such an oratory “fiasco.”

Now that I’ve wisely shed such inhibitions, I can proudly proclaim: Vasectomies are surgical procedures, too! They have a place in vet medicine along with the not-so-recommended (but still sometimes necessary) anal gland-ectomy and the feline thyroidectomy. Yes, sometimes they are indicated.

Given the new wave of discussions on the potentially dubious medical benefits of early castration, it seems reasonable to look to vasectomies as a sound solution for those in doubt as to whether a normal neuter is best for their dog. (btw, I'd never question this for cats as their neuter is required for indoor livability and reduction in disease transmission.)

Yesterday’s patient was a perfect example: A young, fit agility dog, this Shepherd mix was all muscle. His owner wanted to ensure his “safety” around her friends’ breeding bitches for a couple more years of competition on full testosterone overdrive. She’d read about vasectomies online and immediately knew “Buddy” needed one.

It just made sense. “No problem—I’ll do it.” Afterwards, I had to wonder: How come more owners don’t ask about this?

Though it’s an easy surgery (far less painful than a routine castration, with fewer complications, to boot), it’s clear that we vets have serious power over what procedures become accepted as the norm. Yet as science advances, as it inexorably does, what was laughed at by a gray-haired professor over a decade ago may just be the most responsible thing I might advocate ten years from now. It remains to be seen.

Comments 12

Is vasectomy a viable option for a dog with cryptorchidism? My approx 9-month old GSD just got diagnosed with one undescended testicle and the vet is saying just neuter and remove both. I had not been planning to neuter him at all and was considering breeding him, but obviously this condition makes that undesirable. But...for his own health, I'm not too keen on just going ahead with a typical neuter, especially at such an early age. I asked the doctor if we have to do both and she just responded with "Yes, there'd be no point in leaving the other one" as if it were not even a point worth discussing, so I'm not terribly confident that she does vasectomies at all or would consider one. Now, if this condition makes vasectomy undesirable, okay, but I'm not sure that that's the reason; it seems more that she's just going along with the status quo; it's not as though she said "We COULD do a vasectomy but in dogs with this condition it's not advisable." I'm still in shock and would love any advice. My dog is a young GSD and I was about to start him on agility training once we got his shots up to date (he came from someone who called himself a breeder but I won't even go into that). I want him to sexually mature first and have all the hormonal benefits he can get for his own health, but also definitely would not want to leave the descended testicle in IF that is known to present its own health risk in this case. So...just want to hear what the best options are for this condition and a pup of this age, and if anyone knows of a doctor in NJ (or even CT or NY) that would help if vasectomy is a feasible option. I can't leave the undescended testicle in his abdomen for too long, obviously, but if I allow his current doctor to put him under she'll do a full neuter and I don't want to do that unless I'm sure its the best thing for the dog.

It's indeed possible to remove an intra-abdominal testicle and vasectomize the vas deferens leading to the other testicle. This way the dog retains both risks and benefits of male sex hormones while completely removing the risk of cancer posed by the undescended testicle. Kudos to you for recognizing crypotorchidism as a genetic trait that should not be propagated. I think it's laudable that you would want to do everything you can to reduce the risk of passing on the trait.

Oh God, Dr. Khuly, thank you so much for responding. I am almost in tears in relief. No, I have NO desire now to breed him, I was immediately reconciled to letting go of THAT idea as I wouldn't want to pass this condition on, but I do want Wolfie to get all the hormonal and related benefits of being allowed to mature "normally". I wrote to a different animal hospital in NJ last night, one with 3 or 4 veterinary SURGEONS in the practice, and I am hoping that they will agree to remove the undescended testicle and perform a vasectomy on the other one. If not...I may have to drive to Florida. LOL... although honestly, that's not really a joke, I would if I have to. I completely understand why spaying/neutering became almost a battle cry due to the legions of poor unwanted animals on the streets, but a responsible dog owner who knows how to handle his/her dog should not have to "fix" something that isn't "broken". I will let you know how it goes; if they DO agree to do it, at least you'll have more vets in the arsenal. If not, I guess I might be doing a road trip (if you or another vet would agree to take us?). I've always wanted to drive to FL, although I didn't think it would be for surgery... But thank you, I'm literally crying with relief and also nervousness at whether or not I will find a relatively local veterinarian to do this. Wish me luck.

Also, I am so sorry you got laughed at in vet school but that's what happens to people who are forward-thinking innovators...and I'm right there with you. Everyone likes to say it can't be done and they never really think about WHY, they just go along with the status quo. I once asked a boss of mine why we didn't do something differently in the office, something that we had a standard procedure for, I don't recall what, and his answer was "We've always done it that way." And that type of thinking just infuriates me. If you had said to me, no, you need to full neuter the dog and HERE'S WHY, that would have been acceptable to do me, because it would show that some THOUGHT had been put into it, and that there were medical reasons why in this case, that was the best option. But the "this is what we always do"...no. I don't do that with my kids, myself, and I'm damn sure not doing it with my dog. This is his life we are talking about. And I do understand that leaving him with a testicle has its own side effects, thanks for being professional and pointing that out too. But this pup has energy and needs to be out working on an agility course, similarly to the dog you mentioned in your article. Anyhow, just wanted to say thanks again for being insightful and a leader and not just another follower. Whether it's my kids' pediatrician or my own doctors or my vet, those are the people I want to surround myself with and depend on for my care. Again, I will let you know how the other animal hospital responds to my concerns, and if they say no, there's one more that's highly recommended in NJ that I will reach out to. From there...we'll see.

I just finished getting my 4.5 year old wolfdog male this procedure, we went through many phone calls and consultations to find a vet that would perform this alternative procedure on our animal. We were thankful to find Dr. Pou in miami, fl. His staff was incredibly nice and helpful and the care provided to my boy was the best we've had in FL. We initially found 2 other vets in which one did everything possible to avoid the surgery and talk us into a neuter and then there was "Miami vets specialist" which sounded like the right place but ended up being a nightmare, terrible service and very unclear about going about the procedure. Their staff was rude and made me feel so uncomfortable that I had to walk out of their waiting room while waiting for the Dr. to give me a consultation.

I've been looking into whether or not giving a dog a Vasectomy was possible (for a semi-reasonable cost) or not and I stumbled upon this article. I was wondering if you could give me a guess (I'm sure its varies) on how much it would cost and if you know any places in California where it might be possible to get one. Also have you heard of Zeuterin and Zinc neutering? I have just discovered this as well on my search on google and have yet to gather much too much information on it. Any recommendations / Warnings? Thank you for your time for whoever reads this and can provide help or would've provided help if they could.

I have a 4 year old Coton male with cryptorchidism (both are undscended). I really don't want to get him neutered for health related reasons as I believe that it poses more risks than benefits. But I am a responsible owner and will not have him bred. So vasectomy sounds like the ultimate solution. If he didn't have the testicle issue I wouldn't doubt it at all but am not sure if it's the best choice for a dog with his condition. He is healthy otherwise with some minor allergies that we are working on with diet. So I have the following 3 questions - is it ok for my dog to get a vasectomy or does he have higher chances of cancer if I leave the testicles intact yet still in the scrotum? Can anyone recommend vets in Southern California that will be helpful and open to discussing alternatives other than neuter? And where can I find information on life after vasectomy? Since he will still have the urge ideally I'd like to find him a "play date" but have no idea where to look for folks with unfixed females that will be willing to participate and be friends (I have also heard that females can have their tubes tight, so that could be another great match). Any and all help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance all!

Thank you Dr. Khuly! I knew this could be done. I don't want to get my pup castrated poor thing wakes up and has no balls...I don't care that he's "just a dog" would a guy go get his off? I want to find a vet that will do this for me in the Northern NJ area do you know of any?
Kindly,
Sam

Wow, this sounds perfect for my sons mastiff Zeus, can you recommend a vet in Wilmington, North Carolina area that will perform this surgery. We have waited to have him fixed because my son hates the idea of castration and we didn't know if we had any other alternatives. If there is someone even close by this area we would gladly drive there.

I got my 13 month old Bouvier a vasectomy (when he was 6 moths old) (in Canada), and you are right, it is like pulling teeth. I phoned so many vets that simply gave me a flat no.
I do have a question, though. I have a 17 month old Boerboel female. She had an ovari-sparing spay (you think it is hard to find someone to do a vasectomy, try finding someone that will do that!) She is in heat at the moment, and he has started licking his ball incessantly. We noticed it on Sunday, and the skin was not broken, and then on Monday the skin was. So I put a shirt on him to prevent him licking.
His balls don't seem like they are infected (he does not whine when you touch them, they don't seem to be sensitive). And it is not smelly. He is licking the back part of his balls, and not the front part where the cut was made for the vasectomy.
I took him to the vet last night to get an opinion on the matter, she took one look at him, and said that she's never heard of a vasectomy for dogs, and that she thinks that his body now thinks that his balls are a foreign body, and that it is rejecting his balls! But, no worry, we can cut them off for you. Really? Like things work any differently in that department between dogs and men. I can just imagine men lining up for a vasectomy if that was one of the possible side-effects.
Anyway, I wonder if maybe because my female dog is in heat, if he might simply be a bit frustrated, and that his balls may be hurting from that. While I was cleaning him this morning, I noticed that the end of his shaft was a bit yucky, so I cut the hair away that was there. I then noticed that he seem to be leaking some opaque fluid (not pee).
I get that you can't give proper advice without seeing the dog, but while I am trying to find a vet that can think for himself, I am wondering if horniness (not sure that's a word) might be the problem?